Texas water officials seek more funding as crisis worsens, costs soar: 'This is not going to stop'
Key takeaways
- In 2013, the Legislature passed House Bill 4, which created the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT).
- The plan was to use that initial investment as the base of an endowment to build a sustainable fund — funneling $27 billion towards water infrastructure projects for 50 years.
- McKinnon clarified that increased costs are attributed to a wide range of factors, including inflationary pressure, labor costs, and materials.
Why this matters: political developments that affect policy direction and public trust.
Despite the Texas Legislature allocating increased funding to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) in 2013, and again last year, water experts are concerned about a lack of funding available for local governments to undertake needed water infrastructure projects.
In 2013, the Legislature passed House Bill 4, which created the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). This fund had an initial investment of $2 billion and provided communities with low-interest financing to address state water plan projects. Examples of these projects include building new pipelines and conservation efforts.
The plan was to use that initial investment as the base of an endowment to build a sustainable fund — funneling $27 billion towards water infrastructure projects for 50 years. However, Temple McKinnon, water supply planning director for TWDB, says their drafted 2027 five-year State Water Plan far exceeds current funding.